Blizzard Launching "War Games": PvP Practice Matches

Blizzard is implementing a War Game system—a system broadly similar to the old Arena skirmish system.

Basically, with a simple text command, you can now start a "War Game" against another group in a battleground, or another arena team, the matches don't actually count for achievements or currency rewards, and you can only initiate them against other people on your realm—but it's a great way to test out new players in PvP, or hold grudge matches against old enemies.

The new system opens up with Arena Season 9!

The full blue post is after the break, complete with a Q&A.

Beginning with Arena Season 9, we're giving Arena and Battleground teams the option to challenge each other to War Games, a new kind of skirmish that allows teams to practice, set up matches against friends or rivals, or even try out potential recruits. We've prepared a handy FAQ to explain how it works.

Q: What's a War Game?

A: A War Game is an unranked match in which one group of players challenges another group to an Arena or Battleground skirmish in a setting of their choosing. You will be able to initiate a War Game by using the /wargame or /wg command, as explained below.

Q: When will War Games be available?

A: War Games will become available with the start of Arena Season 9. After that point, you'll be able to play a War Game at any time, regardless of whether a season is underway.

Q: How does it work?

A: After you've formed your group, use the /wargame or /wg command to challenge another group leader to a War Game match, like so:

/wg groupleadername mapname

If mapname is left blank, a random Arena or Battleground will be chosen automatically based on the initiating team's size.

For example: JohnnyRaider wants to challenge TommyPvP to a 2v2 Arena skirmish in the Nagrand Arena. After each forms a separate group with his respective Arena partner, JohnnyRaider uses the following command to start the War Game:

/wg tommypvp nagrand arena

TommyPvP will receive a pop-up notice stating JohnnyRaider has challenged you to a War Game in the Nagrand Arena.

TommyPvP then has a little over a minute to accept the challenge. Once he accepts, each group will be placed in the queue and will receive a pop-up window prompting them to enter the skirmish once it's ready.

Q: Can I play War Game skirmishes against members of my own faction?

A: Yes! The War Game skirmish system allows you to challenge players in your same faction to Arena and Battleground matches. You can also challenge those of the opposite faction.

Q: Do I have to type the whole map name, or can I just type /wg tommypvp warsong to enter Warsong Gulch?

A: You can type only part of the Arena or Battleground name, and the system will select the closest match. If you want to be safe, you can use the entire name (as below) to launch a War Game skirmish.

Arenas:

Blade's Edge Arena

Dalaran Sewers

Nagrand Arena

The Ring of Valor

Ruins of Lordaeron

Battlegrounds:

Alterac Valley

Arathi Basin

The Battle for Gilneas

Eye of the Storm

Isle of Conquest

Strand of the Ancients

Twin Peaks

Warsong Gulch

Random Battleground

All Arenas

Q: Can I challenge a team from another realm to a skirmish?

A: No, you can only challenge opponents on your own realm.

Q: Can I start a game if one team has fewer group members than the other?

A: You are able to create a Battleground War Game with uneven team sizes, but you are not able to create an Arena War Game with uneven team sizes. For example, an 8v5 Warsong Gulch War Game is possible, but launching an Arena War Game with uneven team sizes won't work.

Q: What's the largest possible size for a War Game?

A: Arena War Games can support up to 5v5 matches. Battleground group sizes are limited to the maximum number of participants each map normally allows.

Q: Are any statistics recorded from War Game skirmishes?

A: No, they work similarly to the old Arena skirmish system. Kills, damage, and healing are tracked and displayed at the end of the match, but wins and losses are not.

Q: How long does it take for a War Game match to start?

A: Once the challenge has been accepted, you will generally be through the queue in less than 30 seconds. War Games offer you a quick way to get into practice matches with other teams, test out potential recruits, or just have fun with your friends.

Q: Can I receive achievements or guild experience in a War Game?

A: Because you can pick who you play against, nothing is awarded for playing in these skirmishes -- except for the rush that comes with a hard-won victory, of course.

Q: Do I get honor for killing players in a War Game Battleground?

A: No. These are skirmish matches, so no honor is awarded for objectives or kills.

Q: What’s the difference between the /wg command and the War Game button in the PvP interface?

A: The War Game button is used only for launching Battleground matches. The /wg command covers both Battleground and Arena skirmishes. We plan to further integrate the War Game feature into the PvP interface in a future patch.

Q: Why have you added this feature?

A: Players have long been asking for a way to challenge specific teams, guildmates, friends, and rivals to skirmish matches in Arenas and Battlegrounds of their choosing. We hope you enjoy this new feature, and we look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!

Comment by Paranoid4ndroid

Comment by NeoBlackheart

this is gonna be great for Guild events. Or guild vs guild events.Maybe Blizzard should make something similar but against other guild. Now that we have guild achievments and those things.

haha yeah the 1 vs 1 alterac will we epic

You can do guild vs guild you just have that one guild get a group together and then you challange them.

Edit: I just seems so wierd Cataclysm was fine and all that but this just like feels wierd. Not WRONG by any means its just like wow has changed more with this one thing than anything else or something.

1

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